David Vitter sex scandal gets spotlight again in debate with Charlie Melancon

Louisiana's U.S. Senate candidates tangled over illegal immigration, the federal deficit and the role of money in politics Thursday during their final face-to-face meeting in a campaign that has grown increasingly nasty and personal as Election Day nears.

The hour-long debate between Republican incumbent David Vitter and Democratic challenger Charlie Melancon featured some of the strongest attacks of the campaign, as Melancon repeatedly accused Vitter of hypocrisy and panelists pressed the senator on whether he broke the law when he committed a "serious sin" involving a Washington, D.C. prostitution ring.

Vitter refused to go beyond his earlier statements about the D.C. Madam and said he believes he has been forgiven by his family and "my God." He said the voters he has encountered at town hall meetings are willing to look beyond his indiscretions, and suggested that it's only the media and "political hacks" who continue to dwell on the topic.

"It shows the gulf, quite frankly, between how Louisianians think and feel and operate and how Washington political hacks think and feel and operate," Vitter said.

Vitter took a few shots of his own at Melancon, criticizing him for attending a fund-raiser in Canada hosted by plaintiffs lawyers while oil was flowing from the exploded BP well, and for airing a two-minute "R-rated" attack ad that features footage of Vitter's daughters.

"If that's Melancon family values, I don't want any part of it," Vitter said.

Melancon responded with: "David, you never had family values. You've sinned, you've lied, you've broken the law, you've embarrassed the state --- yet you've not hinted once that you think you should step down," Melancon said.

Melancon also called Vitter a hypocrite for "railing" against the sexual indiscretions of former President Bill Clinton and others.

He said Vitter's conduct would disqualify him from working as a police officer, teacher or New Orleans municipal employee. "But we're going to have a U.S. senator that broke the law," Melancon said.

With independent polls showing Vitter with a double-digit lead heading into Tuesday's election, the debate hosted by WWL-TV and other CBS affiliates was one of the last opportunities for Melancon to change the momentum in a state and an election year where being a member of the same party as President Barack Obama is a liability with many voters.

It was the second and final of two televised debates, but the only one that was limited to the top two candidates in a race that also has 10 minor candidates who are barely registering in the polls.

While Vitter was asked to defend the D.C. Madam episode, Melancon was pressed about foreign trips he has taken as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, including a 2008 trip to Antarctica and a visit to Paris where he was accompanied by his wife, Peachy. Melancon defended the trips as necessary to help him make informed decisions in Congress, and that the Antarctica trip included information on coastal erosion and climate change, and was especially necessary because Louisiana is a coastal state that could be affected by a future rise in sea levels.

Another heated exchange came over immigration, as Vitter was asked to defend a campaign ad that some immigrant groups have criticized as being racist. The 30-second commercial features Hispanic-looking men crawling through a fence and being welcomed by actors portraying Melancon supporters.

Vitter denied that he was stereotyping immigrants, and said opposition to the ad is coming from groups that support "amnesty" for undocumented immigrants, which he does not.

"Let's get away from this ridiculous political correctness," Vitter said. "Let's face the problem and let's solve the problem."

Later, Vitter said he would favor repeal of the 14th Amendment, which grants U.S. citizenship to anyone born on American soil.

Melancon said the ad intentionally misrepresented his position on illegal immigration, saying he is a "staunch hawk" on keeping illegal immigrants from entering the United States. He said he favors keeping the 14th Amendment, but that he would like to deny citizenship to immigrants who crossed the border specifically to have a child on American soil.

On taxes and spending, Vitter offered his most detailed response yet on what federal spending he would seek to cut if re-elected, pointing to $232 billion that is unspent from the 2009 economic stimulus law. Vitter said the stimulus, which financed infrastructure projects, cut taxes for 95 percent of taxpayers and provided aid to state governments, a failure that has not lived up to its promise of creating jobs or "saving" existing ones.

Vitter also cited $4 billion that could be saved by disposing of unused federal property, and cutting off "payments to dead farmers." But he did not say how he would make up the $750 billion in federal revenue that would not be collected if Congress extends the temporary income-tax cuts for the wealthiest taxpayers, as Vitter is advocating.

Melancon cited his support for congressional "pay-go" rules that say any new tax cut or spending proposal has to be offset by a corresponding cut elsewhere, and said Congress should cancel programs that the Office of Management and Budget has identified as ineffective.

Near the end of the debate, the candidates were asked about a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that allows corporations, unions and other groups to spend unlimited amounts of money trying to influence political campaigns without disclosing their donors.

Melancon chided Vitter for voting against a bill, which failed in the Senate by one vote last month, that would have required increased transparency. Vitter said he favors "freedom and absolute disclosure" but said he voted against the disclosure bill because he considered it overly partisan.